Job Title: Research and Policy Associate
Department: Queen’s University, Faculty of Law & Smith School of Business
Supervision and Academic Unit: Prof. Samuel Dahan, Queen’s Law, Cornell Law
Description of Area or Topic of Research:
The Smith School of Business and the Law School at Queen’s University invites applications for a Research and Policy Associate (RPA) position to take a leadership role at the Deel Lab for Global Employment – an industry-academia research consortium focused on transnational global hiring policy issues, including independent contractors’ rights and benefits, as well as legal issues resulting from remote work arrangements.
The Deel Lab comprises policy experts from leading institutions in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia. These will include the Conflict Analytics Lab at Queen’s University; the Retail Analytics Lab at McGill; Cornell Law; the British Institute for International and Comparative Law; Oxford Future of Work; HEC Smart Law; Yale; MIT; and Di Tella Buenos Aires.
The position will be under the supervision of Professor Samuel Dahan, Deel Lab policy experts, and industry partners. The RPA will use modern research methods in legal and policy research – including empirical methods – to approach research problems and advances in the following areas, among others.
(1) Legal status of contractors and employees engaged through Employer of Record services;
(2) Taxation issues related to stock options;
(3) Global pension system for contractors;
(4) Social security and healthcare benefits for contractors;
(5) Legal remote-work issues;
(6) Value of remote work.
This role will leave the RPA well-positioned to transition to industry or to a teaching role at a research institution. The RPA will conduct research to support new methodologies and perform benchmarking comparisons in real-data exercises provided by two leading industry partners.
Ultimately, the goal is to determine compliance trends, particularly when it comes to worker misclassification. The research will support the development of a machine-learning misclassification model capable of predicting worker status in more than 15 jurisdictions.
The RPA will create and edit written materials for publications as well as give talks to engage a broader network of experts. The RPA is expected to be independently motivated to execute highquality research in a collaborative environment. We also expect the RPA to work with the lab’s experts to organize high-profile conferences in academia and industry.
Applicants must have a graduate degree in law, industrial relations, economics, or political science, with a track record of publication. A doctoral degree would be considered an asset.
This position will require the ability to work independently as well as in teams and to communicate effectively with a variety of project stakeholders, both internal and external to the Lab. The abilityto communicate technical material to a broad audience is highly desired, as well as the ability to set goals, track progress, and prioritize tasks as appropriate. Remote working arrangements are possible.
Remuneration: $80,000 minimum, with consideration given to industry experience. Additional funding pending.
Start Date and Duration of Appointment: Start date is negotiable; one-year with a possibility of renewal.
Required Documentation:
1. Curriculum vitae;
2. Ph.D. thesis, thesis papers, or writing sample;
3. Cover letter, including a brief description of research interests, how you heard about this
position, when you can start, and how this position will help advance your career goals;
4. Graduate transcripts;
5. Two letters of recommendation. Have referees email daniel.mcbride@queensu.ca and ccDavid.liang@queensu.ca.
Application Deadline: Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis, but applicants are strongly encouraged to submit before December 1.
Employment Equity:
The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized/visible minority and Indigenous/Aboriginal people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons.
Accommodation in the Workplace: The University has policies in place to support its employees with disabilities, including an Accommodation in the Workplace Policy and a policy on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee's accessibility needs due to disability. The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant's accessibility needs. If you require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Daniel McBride at daniel.mcbride@queensu.ca or call 613.533.3298.